Monascus filiformis (RUDOLPHI, 1819) LOOSS, 1907

Sey, O., Nahhas, F. M., Uch, S. & Vang, C., 2003, Digenetic Trematodes From Marine Fishes Off The Coast Of Kuwait, Arabian Gulf: Fellodistomidae And Some Smaller Families, New Host And Geographic Records, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 49 (3), pp. 179-200 : 186-190

Monascus filiformis (RUDOLPHI, 1819) LOOSS, 1907

( Figs 3 A-B)

Synonyms: (see: BRAY and GIBSON, 1980 – 12 synonyms), Karachitrema trilobata BILQEES, 1973 , Monascus trilobatus ( BILQEES, 1973) HAFEEZULLAH, 1984 , M. americanus AMATO, 1982 (new synonym), M. mediolongiusculus DING, 1993 (new synonym)

Host: Selaroides (Caranx) leptolepis (CUVIER, 1833) ( Carangidae )

Description based on three specimens. Body elongate 1,618 –2,700 x 490–675 (2,264 × 597); forebody 490–675 (597); hindbody 1,050 –1,925 (1,550). Tegument smooth. Oral sucker subterminal, 153–230 × 95–170 (188 × 138) with a longitudinal aperture; ventral sucker 78–150 × 88–125 (117 × 111); sucker ratio length 1: 0.60. Prepharynx absent; pharynx 123–140 × 90–128 (131x110); intestine single, extending to near posterior end of body; anus not evident. Testes two, elongate, tandem, entire; anterior testis 83–125 × 65–95 (111x83); posterior testis 95–140 × 50–78 (112 × 69); intertesticular space 70–200 (160); posttesticular space 270–450 (390); cirrus sac immediately anterior to and overlapping ventral sucker, 140–188 × 65–128 (164 × 97), containing bipartite seminal vesicle, posterior part spherical, anterior larger and somewhat ovoid, connecting to long cylindrical pars prostatica lined with striations in its anterior half (cirrus?); spermatophore not evident. Ovary entire, 103 – 125 × 55–88 (110 × 76); ovario-testicular space 88–190 (160); Mehlis’ gland, ootype, Laurer’s canal not seen; uterine coils extending to near posterior end of body and anteriorly entering genital atrium near cirrus. Prostatic cells filling entire cirrus sac. Genital atrium large spherical; pore median. Vitelline follicles lateral, extending from near posterior level of acetabulum to mid level between testes. Eggs 27–37 × 19–21 (33 × 18). Excretory vesicle not evident, pore terminal.

Remarks. As far as we can determine nine nominal species have been reported in the genus Monascus up to 1993: M. filiformis (RUDOLPHI, 1819) from Cepola rubescens LINNAEUS ( Cepolidae ) initially at Rimini, Italy; M. typicus ( ODHNER, 1911) from Caranx trachurus LINNAEUS ( Carangidae ) at Palermo and Trieste; M. minor ( ODHNER, 1911) from Pleuronectes limanda (LINNAEUS) ( Pleuronectidae ) at Kristineberg, Sweden; M. monenteron LOOSS, 1907 from an unknown host; M. orientalis (SRIVASTAVA, 1941) from Synaptura orientalis (BLOCH e t SCHNEIDER) ( Soleidae ) from Bay of Bengal; M. netoi TRAVASSOS, FREITAS et BÜHRNHEIM,1965 from Oligoplites saurus (BLOCH e t SCHNEIDER) ( Carangidae ) from Brazil; M. chauhani VASANTHA KUMARI, 1975 from 2 unnamed species of Pampus ( Stromateidae ) from India; M. americanus AMATO, 1982 from Trachurus lathami (NICHOLS) ( Carangidae ) from Brazil; and M. mediolongiusculus DING, 1993 from Mugil ophuyseni BLEEKER ( Mugilidae ) from Guangdong Province, China. Another species, Karachitrema trilobata BILQEES, 1973 from Caranx affinis (RÜPPELL) ( Carangidae ) in the Arabian Sea also belongs to this group.

Monascus filiformis , a parasite described by RUDOLPHI in 1819 as Distoma filiformis , was transferred to the genus Monascus by LOOSS (1907) without a generic diagnosis, and designated as its type species. ODHNER (1911) created the genus Haplocladus for a new species, H. typicus . A review of the relationship of these 2 genera and their species was discussed by a number of investigators including DOLLFUS (1947), DAWES (1947, 1956), SKRJABIN and KOVAL (1957), FISCHTHAL and KUNTZ (1963), FISCHTHAL and THOMAS (1968) and NAHHAS and POWELL (1971). Monascus typicus ( ODHNER, 1911) YAMAGUTI, 1954 , mostly from carangids, is very similar to M. filiformis and was suspected to be a synonym of the latter by many of these investigators and recognized as such by BRAY and GIBSON (1980).

BRAY and GIBSON (1980) listed 12 taxa as synonyms of M. filiformis and HAFEEZULLAH (1984) eight. The latter named seven and later in the discussion added M. chauhani (its figure labeled M. ovilobatus ). Not included in the synonymy are M. americanus AMATO, 1982 and M. mediolongiusculus DING, 1993 . HAFEEZULLAH (1984) referred to a number of issues relating to several of the taxa. Among them the presence of one or two caeca, whether the ovary is round or trilobed, and whether there is an anus or a connection between the intestine and the excretory vesicle. Other issues are the extent, especially the posterior extent, of the vitelline follicles relative to the testes and allometric changes that occur during development. HAFEEZULLAH (1984) referred to the work of KOIE (1979), who worked out thelifecycleof M. filiformis and showed the presence of two caeca in thecercaria and theadult; according to that study, thebifurcation of the pseudoesophagus occurs between the ventral sucker and the ovary; the right caecum extends to the posterior end of the body but the left caecum remains short and reduced. The right caecum is the one that is seen by most investigators and has led to the assumption that only one caecum is present. Similar finding was reported by MARTORELLI and CREMONTE (1998). As to theshapeof theovary of M. filiformis most investigators describe it as round, entire, or smooth. Specimens of M. filiformis studied by DOLLFUS (1947) had “more or less oval” ovaries. None of these reports {DAWES (1947,1956), SKRJABIN and KOVAL (1957), FISCHTHAL and KUNTZ (1963), FISCHTHAL and THOMAS (1968) and NAHHAS and POWELL (1971)} described or reported a lobed ovary. The Kuwaiti specimens reported in this paper also havean entireovary. Thesameis trueof M. typicus . Exceptions to this arereports of M. typicus by LAMOTHE-ARGUMEDO (1969) from Trachurops crumenophthalmus (BLOCH) and Caranx hippos (LINNAEUS) ( Carangidae ) from theMexican Pacific, and M. filiformis of NASIR and GOMEZ (1977) from Trachurus lathami from Venezuela that were described as having trilobed ovaries. HAFEEZULLAH (1984) also reported that “two of the three specimens recovered from Formio ( Stromateus , Parastromateus, Apolectus ) niger ( Carangidae ) from Gopalpur havetrilobed ovary”. Healso indicated that K OIE’ s (1979) specimens from the dab included specimens with trilobed ovaries. HAFEEZULLAH (1984) apparently was not aware of the description of M. americanus AMTO, 1982 which was characterized by a slightly lobed ovary in the young forms and trilobed in the adult. AMATO (1982) considered a trilobed ovary an important species characteristic that led him to synonymize M. typicus of LAMOTHE-ARGUMEDO (1969) and M. filiformis of NASIR and GOMEZ (1977) with M. americanus . M. americanus was compared with M. netoi but not with M. filiformis or with M. typicus . Except for this feature, all the characteristics of M. americanus fit well with the various descriptions of M. filiformis or M. typicus and hence becomes another synonym of M. filiformis .

The description, measurements and topography of the gonads of Monascus mediolongiusculus DING, 1993 arein agreement with oneor moreof thevarious descriptions of M. filiformis . DING (1993) compared it only with M. orientalis . This species is here considered another synonym of M. filiformis . BILQEES (1973) erected the genus Karachitrema to accommodate K. trilobata , a species from Caranx affinis (RÜPPELL) ( Carangidae ) from the Karachi coast. BRAY (2002) reexamined the holotype (BMNH 1982.5.13.13) of K. trilobata and confirmed an earlier opinion ( BRAY, 1983) and that of HAFEEZULLAH (1984) that Karachitrema is a synonym of Monascus . It should be noted, however, that BILQEES’ s description of K. lobata does not agree with those of M. filiformis in at least two respects, onethe“bifurcation” of theintestineanterior to theventral sucker and thesecond is the presence of two caeca that extend to the posterior end of the body. Her drawing, however, shows neither bifurcation of the oseophagus nor any caeca extending to the posterior end of the body.

As to the presence or absence of an anus in species of Monascus , thevarious reports are also conflicting (see BRAY 2002). Thesameis trueof thedistribution of the vitelline follicles. Most reports describe the follicles extending from near the posterior level of the ventral sucker (an exception is M. chauhani ), but differ in the posterior extent relative to the testes. This species was distinguished “ from all the known species of thegenus in thelarger sizeof thebody, in theoral sucker having an oval opening instead of a slit like elongated opening, and in having a distinctly lobed ovary” and from “ M. orientalis (SRIVASTA, 1941) in theabsenceof cuticular spines and in the extension of the vitellaria”. VASANTHA KUMARI (1975) described the forebody to hindbody ratio as 1:12.3, eggs “ 0.024 –0.008 × 0.012 –0,332 ” (sic); the illustration, labeled Monascus ovilobatus , shows an equatorial ovary and vitelline follicles from the “middle of acetabulovarian zone to anterior margin of anterior testis”. M. chauhani and M. orientalis were recognized as synonyms of M. filiformis by BRAY and GIBSON (1980).

Various allometric changes were also described in M. filiformis by DOLLFUS (1947), in M. typicus by FISCHTHAL and THOMAS (1968) and in M. americanus by AMATO (1982). These chiefly relate to relative positions of the ventral sucker and testes in the young compared with adults.

Figures

Fig. 3. A = Monascus filiformis (RUD., 1819) from Selaroides leptolepis. Ventral view. Scale 1 mm. B = Cirrus sac free-hand composite drawing